The Truth Behind the Vacancy
by numberonefanxox
Summary: Rory got in to Chilton because of one “unusual vacancy.” This vacancy was due to Logan Huntzberger’s strange and fast departure to a boarding school. Rumors spread widely about his expulsion. Rory always wondered who this mysterious boy was...ROGAN
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hey guys! This is my first fanfic, but I've been working on it forever! I've only written this chapter so far but I really want to continue. I have ideas, but I want to see the response before I continue. Not gonna waste my time by writing if my writing sucks! Haha. I'm kind of a grammar freak, so if you see mistakes, don't be afraid to tell me! Gilmore Girls is my favorite show in the world. I cried for days when it ended. Haha, yeah I'm kind of pathetic. Anyway, let me know what you think of my story!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my idea! That credit belongs to the one and only Amy Sherman-Palladino. I bow down to you!**

_Synopsis: Rory got in to Chilton because of one "unusual vacancy." This vacancy was due to Logan Huntzberger's strange and fast departure to a Belgian boarding school. Rumors spread widely about his alleged expulsion. Rory heard all of Logan's infamous stories and always wondered who he was..._

The Truth Behind the Vacancy

Chapter 1

Almost sixteen-year old Rory Gilmore walked into the kitchen of Stars Hollow's famous Independence Inn. Her mother, Lorelai Gilmore and her mother's friend Sookie St. James, were talking. As Rory walked in Lorelai quickly clammed up and shoved a bag behind her back.

Rory had just had an awful day at school. Stars Hollow High School was mundane, and boring for the truly intellectual girl. Rory had been reading since she was 3, and had read Huckleberry Finn, the current English novel, when she was 9.

Rory loved school, however the daily routine was getting old, and Rory was just plainly bored. The people were the same people she saw every day, and had been seeing every day since she first started kindergarten. Besides her best friend Lane Kim, Rory didn't have many other friends. She wasn't in any clubs or involved in other extracurricular activities. Rory and Lorelai were freakishly close, mainly due to the sixteen-year age difference between them. Lorelai had run from her high-society life and parents in Hartford, Connecticut as a seventeen-year old and brought Rory, without a father, to live in Stars Hollow.

Although Rory loved the town, she wasn't being challenged, which made her feel uninterested and jaded. She had applied to a private prep school, Chilton, in Hartford, but Rory wasn't optimistic. Even if she did get in, the money was tight, and Chilton was extraordinarily expensive. Chilton, however, Rory knew was the key to her future. With Chilton's help, she could achieve her full potential and get into Harvard University. Rory's dream for as long as she could remember was to go to Harvard and become a foreign correspondent. The next Christianne Amanpour, to be exact.

Rory dropped her bags and pouted.

"Behold. The thing that reads a lot." Lorelai exclaimed.

"Chocolate?" Rory asked.

"In the cup over there," Sookie responded. Sookie was the chef at the Inn that Lorelai ran.

Rory got her chocolate and as she bit in she realized that Lorelai and Sookie were unusually giddy.

"You're happy."

"Yeah," Lorelai smiled.

"Did you do something slutty?" Rory asked warily.

"I'm not that happy…" Lorelai laughed. She pulled out a blue pleated skirt from the bag hidden behind her back.

"I'm going to be in a Britney Spears video?"

"You're going to Chilton!" Sookie blurted out. "Sorry." She smiled apologetically at Lorelai who glared at Sookie for divulging her secret.

"Mom?" Rory asked hopefully.

"You did it babe. You got in." Lorelai smiled proudly at the brink of tears.

_Wow. _Rory thought. _I'm going to Chilton!_

The next day Rory walked in to school with Lane. They were talking about the upcoming winter hayride and how Lane's ultra-conservative Korean parents were forcing her to go with a future doctor and his whole family.

"I can't believe today is my last day at Stars Hollow High" Rory commented as they walked up the stairs.

"I know, I'm totally going to miss you. I told my mom today."

"Is she thrilled?"

"The party's on Friday." Lane laughed.

After class Rory was trying to make it out the door with the entire contents of her locker in her arms. It was too much for her fragile arms to handle and she dropped the box and spilled everything.

"Great." She muttered while stooping down to pick everything up. Rory looked up and saw a boy just standing there. "God."

"Rosemary's Baby" the boy stated. "Well that was a great movie."

"Yeah…" Rory responded. She and the mystery boy locked eyes, and she was breathless. He was beautiful. He was around 6'2'' with gorgeous deep brown locks. They starting talking as he helped her gather her things. She learned that his name was Dean, he was from Chicago, and he was looking for a job. She recommended him to Miss Patty, the town know-it-all who would know who was looking for a job. There was a little awkwardness, but that was to be expected, as Rory had never really had guy friends. They walked around all around the town, talking and talking. Rory was happier than she had been in a long time. Finally she realized the time and ran home to drop her things off before meeting her mom at Luke's Diner, their regular restaurant for all meals and snacks. Luke, the owner, had a thing for her mother, and he always gave them special treatment.

"So. You were late getting home today." Lorelai started to make dinner conversation.

"Yeah. I uh went to the library." Rory didn't know why she was lying. Normally she told her mom everything.

"Hm. Oh by the way, dinner with the grandparents tomorrow."

"Why? It's September. What holiday is in September?"

"No holiday, it's just a dinner thing."

"What if I had plans? You didn't even ask me!" Rory got defensive.

"If you had plans I would have known."

"How?"

"You would have told me!"

"I don't tell you everything you know." Rory grumbled. _Yeah like how I met the perfect guy today that I probably won't ever see again._

"Hey, I had dibs on being the bitch tonight."

"Just tonight?"

They bickered for a little while because Rory brought up the possibility that she wasn't going to go to Chilton. Lorelai told her that was ridiculous and finally Rory got up and stormed out. "Let's go home." She griped.

"Yeah, let's go home and try that apology again!" Lorelai shouted after her.

On the way home, the inseparable pair continued to argue. As they walked by Miss Patty's, Miss Patty herself stuck her head out the door and told Rory, "Hey Rory I think I've found a job for your man friend!"

"What man friend?" Lorelai exclaimed. Rory kept walking. "Oh you're going to have to walk faster than that! You're going to have to turn into fricken Flojo to get away from me!"

Back at the house Rory ran into her room and slammed the door.

"Does he have a motorcycle? 'Cause if you're gonna throw your life away he better have a motorcycle!" Lorelai called after her.

Finally Lorelai got sick of the fighting, and walked into Rory's room. She told her that under no circumstances would Rory _not_ attend Chilton. She was going to be there, Monday morning. End of story.

Lorelai slammed Rory's door on the way out. They both turned on their respective radios and sulked to the same music. Eventually they both gave up and went to sleep, brooding in their dreams.

The fight continued for three days. This was one of the worst fights Lorelai and Rory had ever had. Neither would give up.

The next night, Rory and Lorelai stood on the elder Gilmore's doorstep. Lorelai started babbling about how they needed to act like they were not fighting, because she didn't want to explain what was going on to Emily. Rory muttered, "Fine" and they rang the doorbell.

The dinner seemed to be going well, until Lorelai started bickering with her parents at the table. Finally Lorelai stood up in anger and said, "I'm going to get a Coke…or a knife."

Rory tried not to listen, but as Emily went into the kitchen to "comfort Lorelai" as best as she could, Lorelai's screams wafted through the swinging door. Rory couldn't believe it. The reason they were there was because Lorelai had gone to her parents, whom she had had major problems with since she got pregnant at 16 and fled their house at 17 taking their baby granddaughter with her, to ask for money. No matter where Lorelai had been in her life, she had never asked for anything from her parents. Rory realized how important her going to Chilton was to her mother.

Throughout the rest of dinner, Rory sat, realizing that there was no way she could throw her future away for some guy. He could not be worth getting rejected from Harvard because she threw away this opportunity.

As she and her mother stood outside the Gilmore's door after the disastrous dinner, Rory decided to share her current epiphany.

"Maybe it'll be better next Friday."

"Wait, next Friday? Does this mean…?" Lorelai asked.

"Can't let a perfectly good plaid skirt go to waste." Rory said cautiously.

Lorelai hugged her daughter. She had known Rory would come around eventually. Now she just hoped that they both had enough stamina to make it through three more years of Friday Night Dinners.

Rory couldn't believe it. She was going to Chilton. In three days. Could she handle it? Would the workload be too much? She really had no idea.

Lorelai thought about the abrupt vacancy at Chilton. Before the call last week, the Headmaster had been very firm in saying that they were absolutely full. What could have possibly happened in one week to make a space open for Rory? Guess she'd find out soon enough…

**What do you think!! Let me know please!! I'm begging here!! Haha. Thanks in advance!!! =]**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Thank you all so much for your reviews. It took me a few days to update because I had to redo what I wrote already as I got an amazing idea from krazygurl. Thank you!! (That's my shoutout =]) I really appreciate constructive criticism and ideas as I'm not entirely sure where this story is headed. Unlike others writers, I don't have an outline for the story and I would appreciate some help. Thanks in advance!**

**Just a side note. I'm jumping from season 1 to season 4. Rory is now about to go to Yale. Everything else is the same. **_**Italics are flashbacks.**_** Thanks for reading and enjoy!**

THREE YEARS LATER. RORY'S FIRST DAY AT YALE

Rory was so excited. In just a few short hours she would be arriving at Yale University, her new home for the next four years. Rory was thrilled to peruse the multitude of libraries, and to stroll the ivy covered hallowed halls of this prestigious college.

Rory thought back to her final decision to attend Yale. She had thought about it for weeks and made several pro-con lists. She still couldn't believe that she had been accepted to the Big Three, Harvard, Princeton AND Yale. Her mom was through the roof, she was so incredibly proud. However, Rory was torn. Should she stick with the original plan? Or stray to another path?

Rory remembered the conflict that came with the decision to apply to another college besides Harvard. It had brought major grief to the Gilmore family holidays.

It was the fourth Thanksgiving dinner Lorelai and Rory were going to attend. Lorelai wanted to skip this one more than anything, but Rory made her attend. They stood outside the big, stone house staring up at the looming door.

"_You ready for this?" Rory had asked._

"_Of course." Lorelai replied with a slight sarcastic tone._

"_Even with the cold war?" Rory referred to the fight Lorelai and Emily had had when Emily visited the Inn to make sure Rory and Lorelai were coming for Thanksgiving._

"_That's been going on for 34 years? I can manage."_

"_It's been a bit colder these past few weeks!" Rory stated as Lorelai rang the bell._

"_Oh no. I'm fine. You know why? Because in two hours, and I do plan on extricating us from here in EXACTLY two hours, the night will be over, and I won't have to see them again until next year. Now, start your stopwatch." Lorelai rambled as Emily opened the door._

"_Hello."_

"_Hi Grandma. Happy Thanksgiving." Rory said, giving Emily a bouquet of flowers._

"_Thank you Rory." Emily accepted. "Happy Thanksgiving Lorelai."_

"_Happy Thanksgiving." Lorelai said aloud. To Rory she mumbled, "One hour and 59 minutes and 40 seconds."_

_Later that night, Emily, Richard, Lorelai and Rory sat at the Gilmore's huge dinner table surrounded by other company. There was Natalie and Douglass Swope, Emily's DAR friend and her husband, and Emily and Richard's international friends, Claude and Monique Clemenceau. _

_Natalie had made the mistake of bringing up Rory's applications. They were talking about how Rory had sent in all of her applications when Natalie asked her where she applied._

"_Harvard." Rory replied simply._

"_No word yet?" Douglass asked._

"_I'm not supposed to hear back for a while."_

"_Where else?" Douglass inquired._

"_Where else?" Rory echoed, seemingly confused._

"_Where else did you apply? Your alternates."_

"_We're so curious, it's like we're going through this ourselves." Natalie interjected._

"_I'm pretty much counting on Harvard."_

"_Well you didn't apply to just Harvard, did you?" Douglass asked again._

"_No." Rory said quietly._

"_No?" Lorelai suddenly joined the conversation._

"_Am I prying?" Natalie asked warily._

"_No." Rory comforted._

"We applied elsewhere?" Lorelai asked, trying to get more information out of the suddenly mute Rory.

The night went downhill from there. Rory announced to the table, to her mother's surprise, that she had applied to Harvard, Princeton, and Yale. Lorelai, being the assuming person that she is, immediately blamed Emily and Richard for forcing her hand.

Rory sat on her childhood bed, with all of her belongings surrounding her. She thought back to how angry Lorelai had been upon realizing that Rory was considering Yale. Yale was Richard's school, and Lorelai had been trying her whole life to do everything the opposite way that her parents would do. Lorelai couldn't fathom Rory's want for something she so desperately tried to escape.

Rory knew that Yale was the right college for her, and that in 3 hours she would finally be there. She just didn't know how she had come to this decision, although she didn't regret it.

Ignoring the panging feeling in the pit of her stomach, Rory thought ahead to the next 4 years. She was bound to do incredible things. She couldn't wait to meet so many new and diverse people. Maybe she'd even find someone to fill the hole in her heart created by whom she thought was the love of her life.

Author's Note: Tell me!! I know the time jump was a little confusing, but I want to look back on how Rory came to find out about Logan before she actually meets him. He's coming soon though, I promise! Review please! 


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to update! I was having a bit of a writer's block as to where to take my story, but I think I've figured it all out, with the help of Gilmoregirl19. Thank you SO much for everything, I don't know how to express it! =] Anyway, hope you enjoy the latest installment. I'm starting a new semester in school so it may only be on weekends that I update but I'll try as hard as I can! Also, I am taking the story a bit away from the show. Some things might occur in different orders and flashbacks are probably going to be my own from now on. Let me know if this is confusing or disturbs you in anyway. Reviews, reviews, reviews please!!

**Disclaimer: I always forget this. I don't own Gilmore Girls. *Cries***

Chapter 3

It was Rory's first day of classes at Yale. She could not have been more excited. Paris, one of her "friends" from Chilton was her roommate. Rory didn't exactly know how she felt about that, but seeing a familiar face was kind of nice.

After a mini-breakdown, Rory was finally settled in. She had her routine, although it was not very different from her routine back in Stars Hollow. She woke up, got breakfast, visited the coffee cart, and spent her afternoons reading under a special tree in the courtyard.

Yes, Rory was happy. But she couldn't wait to start in on her classes, and make the staff at the Yale Daily News. Luckily, they were both starting soon.

Rory left her dorm to get to her first class, _Introduction to Japanese Fiction_ with Professor Swanson. She was super early, but that was how Rory liked to make a first impression, as an eager student, ready to learn.

She walked into the classroom and decided where to sit at the huge round table. Rory picked a seat, but then decided to move when she saw one that wasn't in the direct sunlight. A boy walked in and sat down directly across from Rory. No one said anything, and a few seconds later a TA walked in and handed booklets out.

"Freshman." He muttered and walked out.

_Well this is sufficiently awkward._ Rory thought. _But I wonder if I should introduce myself to this guy. He's kind of cute…_

Rory was about to open her mouth to introduce herself when the doors opened and around twenty people, including the professor entered the room. Rory smiled, sat back, and was ready to enjoy the class.

Rory's afternoon class, _Introduction to Obscure Russian Poetry_, was the one that she was looking forward to the most. After a leisurely lunch and three cups of coffee, she was ready to dissect even the most vague, foreign stanzas.

Rory walked into the lecture hall, of course a half an hour early. She picked the front, centermost seat and settled in, placing her book bag on the floor. Rory had just picked up her book when a loud commotion came from the doorway.

She snapped her head towards the noise and saw three inebriated boys, stumbling into the classroom. They were pushing and shoving each other, laughing, and stumbling up to the back row of the lecture hall.

"Ugh." Rory mumbled to herself. She hated obnoxious boys like these. These three, a blonde, two brunettes, one who seemed to have more control over the other, the other with an Australian accent, reminded her especially of some of the guys in her high school.

_It was the beginning of sophomore year. Rory had just broken up with her first love, Dean. Instead of wallowing, Rory decided to go to a party at a sort-of friend's house._

_Rory and Lane entered Madeline's house, exclaiming about the enormous size. Finally they found Madeline, accompanied by her best friends, Paris and Louise. They started talking when Tristan, the bane of Rory's high school existence, stumbled in with his cronies, Duncan and Bowman. They were incredibly inebriated, and shoving and pushing each other to get to the horde of girls shimmying on the dance floor. _

"_Yuck." Paris had said. Madeline and Louise had run after them, excited that they might finally get some Tristan action. "They are disgusting. Almost as bad as Logan Huntzberger."_

"_Who?" Rory had asked curiously. She had only been at the school about a month and didn't know many people._

"_He was this kid, he transferred not long before you showed up. He was a rich playboy and never let anybody forget it. He could not have been more obnoxious about his life. He was also really smart. Which was unfortunate because all of that potential was wasted on an idiotic delinquent." Paris muttered and wandered off leaving Lane and Rory to gossip about who Logan really was. _

**Author's Note:** **I know it's kind of short but I couldn't figure out another way to end it on the cliffhanger I wanted to and elongate the story. Anyway, tell me what you think please!!! I really appreciate all advice, criticism is welcome as well…I just want to improve and I think all of your help will make me a better writer. As soon as I get some reviews I'll get the next chapter up! Haha thanks!!**


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Lucky readers! I have a snow day today, so I felt like writing. =] This chapter I hope will be a little longer. I've made an outline for this chapter and the next. I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: No I don't own Gilmore Girls! Stop torturing me! =]

After class, Rory decided she needed coffee to calm her nerves. She had spent the whole class thinking about Logan Huntzberger. She really needed to stop thinking about this guy. He left Chilton right before she got there. Why did it matter to her what had happened over 4 years ago?

Rory walked to the coffee cart.

"Seriously?!" She muttered under her breath upon seeing the Ludicrous Triumvirate standing by the coffee cart. She couldn't escape them! Even after promising she would stop thinking about them, they were there. Invading her private sanctuary where the lifesaving coffee was.

Rory walked closer, finally getting an actual look at the threesome. Besides the obnoxious factor, the three of them were incredibly cute. Especially the blonde one. His blonde hair sparkled in the sunlight, his biceps rippled as he brought his long fingers up to his mouth. Ah, those lips. Rory couldn't even describe those lips. As he turned to talk to one of his cronies, Rory noticed his eyes. She was breathless.

_No!_ Rory thought. _I cannot think he's cute. He's got to be one of those rich kids who take everything from their parents and work for nothing. He's probably at Yale because his daddy paid for it._ _There's no way he could have gotten in on his own._

Rory hated guys like that. She had worked so hard to get where she was, and her mom had worked even harder. When Rory thought of people who had everything and took it all for granted, it infuriated her. Her mom, her role model, had risked everything and literally worked from the bottom up. Rory's childhood had not been filled with money, but it was filled with opportunity, something that rich children tended to ignore.

Despite Rory's self-reprimanding, she still found him attractive."Damn." She cursed under her breath. She started to head towards the coffee cart, her head held high, determined to get her coffee without distractions.

"One large caramel macchiato." Logan ordered.

_God. He's not even respectful._ Rory thought.

The kiosk tender handed Logan his coffee. Without a thank you, Logan proceeded to take something slyly out of his sock. He poured a little into his coffee and then handed it to the mysterious brunette that seemed to have control over the Austrailian.

The metal glimmered in the sunlight. _Omigod,_ Rory realized, _He's got a flask hidden in his sock._ The idea of underage drinking did not appeal to Rory, but it wasn't the consumption of alcohol that bothered her, it was the crest on the flask. It looked familiar, and it was definitely a rich man's family crest. Where had she seen it before though?

_Rory walked into Ms. Ness' 10__th__ grade American History class. The word Prohibition was written on the board. She took her seat, next to Paris, her all-time competitor. She heard giggles coming from the hoodlums in the back of the class._

"_Could they be more immature?" Paris muttered._

"_Huh?" Rory asked innocently._

"_Anything having to do with booze gets those idiots happy."_

"_Oh." Rory realized._

_Ms. Ness walked in and started class by asking if anyone knew what Prohibition was. Paris, of course, started to speak, but Rory beat her to it._

"_Prohibition was a time period during the early 20__th__ century, also referred to as The Noble Experiment, during which it was illegal to manufacture, transport, import, export, or consume alcohol."_

_Paris flushed red, she hated being beat at her own game._

"_Very good, Rory." Ms. Ness said._

_The rest of the class was spent talking about the effects Prohibition had on American society. As class ended, out of the corner of her eye, Rory saw Louise pull a flask out of her backpack._

"_What is that?" Madeline asked curiously._

"_Something I swiped from the one and only playboy Huntzberger right before he left." Louise giggled mischeviously._

"_Omigod! You didn't! How'd you get it? He always kept it in his sock!" Madeline exclaimed without breathing._

"_I'm that good." Louise laughed._

_Rory turned around and saw the flask. It was incredibly shiny, the brightest metal she had ever seen. The front was engraved with an extremely intricate design, Rory wasn't sure, but she thought it might be a royal family crest._

"_What's on the front?" Rory asked curiously._

"_Rory, do you even know what this is?" Louise tormented._

"_Of course she doesn't Louise, do you think they have alcohol in Boonetown?" Paris laughed._

"_You guys are funny." Rory's voice dripped with sarcasm. "No, seriously? Is that a royal family crest on the front?"_

"_I have no idea." Louise said. "It was just Logan Huntzberger's. He used to keep it in his sock for boring classes and parties."_

"_Louise sometimes I don't understand how you get A's at this school." Paris said. "No, it's not a royal family's crest, but it is the Huntzberger's crest. They are as close to royalty as America has."_

"_Wow." Rory breathed, fingering the crest. It was beautiful, and she wondered, once again, who this Logan Huntzberger was and why he was considered American royalty._

Rory shook off the flashback. _No, _she thought, _too weird. That's impossible._ She got up from the bench she had been resting on and got up to go get her coffee.

**Author's Note: Soooo? What'd you think!?!? Tell me!!! It was a little longer than the others, so I hope it pleased some of you. Give me advice, I'm begging here!! Review people!!!! Thanksss!! =]**


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Hello my wonderful readers! =] Another update…sorry if it's not very clear…I wrote it while my friends were watching TV in my room. They made me shut off Gilmore Girls! How horrible! Hahah. Let me know what you think and how I can fix everything! I actually take each and every comment really seriously and will respond to anyone who gives me a suggestion. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING GILMOREGIRL19, my most dedicated reviewer! I love you! Haha. And MegaMe15, you helped me so much too.

**This chapter's my longest one, so tell me what you think pleaseeee! =]**

Chapter 5

After Rory's interaction with Logan at the coffee cart, she was determined to stop thinking about him. Rory decided she needed to get her head in the game, as schoolwork was rapidly increasing and Rory was never the procrastinator.

One Wednesday morning, Rory entered the newsroom before class. She had just finished the initiation through which every reporter of the Yale Daily News was required to go. Now, even though she was a full-fledged reporter, Rory still needed to try out all of the beats before getting assigned to _her_ beat. However, Rory already knew that she wanted the features beat more than anything.

Rory was sitting at her desk, trying to come up with a new way to spin her piece on Yale's horrendous lacrosse team. Rory hadn't even heard of lacrosse until Doyle, her editor, had assigned her this piece.

Rory shook her head. She had no idea how to write this piece. She might have been Valedictorian at one of the most prestigious private schools in America, but Rory Gilmore knew nothing about sports.

Rory knew one thing though. She needed coffee. And fast. Her daily eight o'clock in the morning cup was wearing off and Rory knew that she couldn't write without the constant stream of caffeine in her blood.

Rory pounded her fist on her temporary desk in frustration. She was about to get up when she felt eyes watching her. She looked up and was face to face with Logan Huntzberger. And he was laughing at her!

Despite the embarrassment she felt due to his laughing, Rory couldn't help but get lost in his gaze. His brown eyes sparkled with laughter, and somehow caught the light, although there was almost no light in the secluded corner of the newsroom where Rory's desk was located. Although, on closer inspection, Rory realized that his eyes had mysteriousness to them. Almost as if Logan's life was a whole secret.

That small detailed confused Rory. She had come to believe that every trust fund-kid's life was perfect, with no need for secrets. As she had come to learn through multiple Friday Night Dinners in Hartford, secrets were also rare in high society life. So how could someone as important as a _Huntzeberger_ have secrets?

Logan's laugh got louder, which brought Rory out of her thoughts.

"Can't help but stare at me, can ya?" Logan laughed.

"Oh please," Rory shrugged. "I was noticing the lipstick stains on your face and wondering how drunk the girl had to be."

"Ouch!" Logan mocked pain and his hand flew to his chest, as if Rory had stabbed him in the heard.

"Why are you even here anyway?"

"And the hurt just keeps on coming! You're Rory, right?"

"Who wants to know?"

"Who wants to know? Why only the great Logan Huntzberger!"

Rory rolled her eyes. Guys like Logan disgusted her more than words could describe. And Rory was a journalist, and very good with words.

"Where are your other two cronies? It's like your missing an arm and a leg."

"Who wants to know?" Logan mocked. "Colin and Finn are in class like _good little boys_." Logan's voice got high as he continued to ridicule his friends.

"Well why aren't you with them?"

"HA! Me go to every class. You're funny, Ace. Real funny."

"My name's not Ace." Rory responded flatly. She didn't know why she was egging him on. She just wanted him to go away.

"No? What is it then?" Logan leered.

"Rory Gilmore."

"Rory Gilmore. Well, Rory Gilmore! You're pretty Rory Gilmore." Logan leaned so close to Rory that she could smell the beer on his breath.

"Yuck, get away from me." Rory pushed him away.

"Come on, baby. Come back to my place for a drink with me!" Logan laughed.

"Logan. I would never go anywhere with you. And it's 10 a.m." Rory tried to end the conversation.

"10 a.m.? That's nothing! Come on Rory, life's short! Start Living!"

Rory just rolled her eyes and went back to work. Logan realized he wasn't going to get a reaction from this girl and left the newsroom. As he left he called over his shoulder, "Ace! Do me a favor? Don't tell anyone I was in here! It'll ruin my rep."

Rory ignored his drunken screams, but the last thing he said before he had started walking away rambling stayed with her. "Life's short! Start Living!" flowed through her brain as if she was trying to place where she had heard it before. Finally it struck her, and she took a sharp breath in with her realization.

_Rory walked with the rest of the junior class into the auditorium. It was that time of year, the time for the scary assembly that every junior dreaded. It was entitled, "How to prepare for the SAT's and the admission process." _

_Rory felt a push from behind and struggled to keep her balance as she entered the auditorium. Unfortunately for Rory, she was never one with the most grace or poise, and she fell right into Paris. _

"_Oh no, Paris I'm so sorry. I was pushed."_

"_Whatever Gilmore." Paris walked away._

_Rory sighed. Paris held grudges for too long. It had already been a month since Francie had tricked Rory into meeting her in a secret place to arrange a "truce." Francie then took pictures and made Paris believe that Rory had wanted to meet to plot against Paris. Rory couldn't believe that Paris actually believed these lies, but there was nothing she could do. Once Paris Gellar made up her mind it was impossible to convince her otherwise._

_Rory felt another shove from behind. She turned around and stared right into the eyes of Tristan Dugrey._

"_Ugh," she turned back around._

"_Wow, what a nice greeting. I'm touched." Tristan shot back sarcastically._

"_Sorry, I tend to get smart-aleck-y when I'm being shoved repeatedly in the back." Rory responded just as fast._

"_Look Rory, why do you hate me so much?"_

"_Geez Tristan, I don't think we have enough time before we graduate for me to answer that question."_

"_No I'm serious. I'm a good guy; you're a good girl. We both come from prominent families, we're both smart-"_

_Tristan abruptly stopped due to Rory's laughter._

"_What?"_

"_Tristan, you would have to be an idiot to not realize why I won't go out with you."_

"_Enlighten me, Your Majesty."_

"_For starters, you don't actually like me. It's just a game to you. And I won't be your prize."_

"_Anything else?"_

"_You're pompous. You don't think of anyone but yourself and your flavor of the week. You'll do whatever you want without a care in the world for who it will affect or what the consequences will be." Rory rattled off countless reasons for her distaste of Tristan._

"_Fine. Don't go out with me."_

_Rory laughed and found a seat. "Now that is the first thing I agree with that you've said in a very long time."_

_Insulted, Tristan took the seat next to Rory, but stared straight ahead. Next to him, Madeline sat down, and next to her, Louise and Paris. Tristan spent the assembly flirting with Madeline, but covertly sneaking glances back at Rory. However, Rory, with her excellent peripheral vision, noticed every single glance. She spent the assembly inwardly laughing at his pettiness._

_After the assembly, Rory stood up, but couldn't get out because Tristan was blocking her in._

"_Wow, really Tristan? This is a new low, even for a five year old."_

_Tristan pretended to be severely hurt, but wouldn't let Rory pass. "Not until you go out with me."_

"_Well then, I guess we'll be here for a very long time then, no?" Rory sat back down._

_Tristan got all up in her face until she had to crack a smile._

"_Come on Gilmore. Life's short! Start living!"_

_Rory heard Madeline laughing in the background, but Tristan tried to shut her up. However, Rory successfully leaned around Tristan and asked her why she was laughing._

"_That's not his line. I'm only laughing because he says it so much worse than Huntzberger did." Madeline smiled._

_Even during the worst Geller/Gilmore fights, Madeline was always friendly. However, her friendliness earned her classic Geller and Grant glares. Rory just rolled her eyes, thanked Madeline, and stood up until Tristan felt so intimidated he let her go. Rory walked out of the auditorium without looking back._

"_Damn." She faintly heard Tristan whisper. Rory smiled._

_On the bus ride home, Rory thought about the day's events. Huntzberger again. When was he going to be just a distant memory and not a daily conversation piece? Again, Rory wondered who he was and why he was so important that he seemed to becoming a Chilton legend. One day she hoped to meet him. _

Rory never realized that the day when she met the infamous Huntzberger face to face would arrive so soon.

**Author's Note:** **What'd you think!! Please let me know, I need some advice! What do you think of Logan's character? I'm not so sure I love it. Should I include more Lorelai? Am I doing a horrendous job? TELL ME PLEASE! The more reviews I get, the sooner I update…heheheh.**


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: I'm finally back! Sorry this took me so long, I should have updated sooner as I'm on vacation, but I've been sick. Anyway, I'm writing this chapter now! So I hope you like it, and tell me what you think!

Thanks so much to all my reviewers; I never thought I would get so many reviews! I love you all. And I love everyone who has added me to his/her alerts; I get SO happy when I get an email saying someone puts this as his/her favorite story! Thanks for everything!

Rory spent the rest of the day thinking back to high school and about how much Logan seemed to come up in daily conversation. There had to be some connection to this present Logan that she kept encountering. Huntzberger wasn't exactly a common name.

Rory wondered why she had never heard about Logan at the Gilmores' Friday Night Dinner. She had listened to countless stories of Mitchum and Shira, the newspaper mogul and his trophy wife, but she didn't know they had a son. Rory would have to ask that night when she went to Hartford for dinner.

Rory got out of her car in the driveway of The Crap Shack. Lorelai ran out with her arms open.

"The Prodigal Daughter returns!"

Rory laughed. "Mom, I've only been gone a week! I picked you up last Friday."

"Well it feels like longer. I miss you babe, we haven't even talked on the phone for a while."

"I know, I'm sorry, I've been so busy lately."

"Ugh, do we have to go tonight? I need some quality time with my bestest pal!" Lorelai tried to pull the baby face.

"Mom, the baby face is my thing. Nice try. And yes, we have to go. I've been dealing with a lot of things lately and I think that Grandma can give me some answers."

"Answers? What could you possibly need from Grandma? Is yellow the new pink?"

"Ha ha" Rory laughed sarcastically. "I don't want to go into it now, we're late. Let's go."

Lorelai got into the car with Rory following. She still could not stop thinking about Logan. This was bad; Rory had never spent this much time thinking about anything. She tried to push it to the back of her mind as Lorelai spent the drive to Hartford rambling about her latest squabble with Luke.

The squirrelly maid opened the door for Lorelai and Rory. She mumbled something and then ran away.

"Wow. Do we like smell bad or something?" Rory laughed.

"No, she's running from Emily. I know that run, I mastered it at age four." Lorelai replied seriously.

Rory laughed, but stopped once she heard Emily freaking out in the other room.

"I asked for CREAM. This is not CREAM this is OFF-WHITE! Why are you so incompetent? You're supposed to be of the highest quality! With the money I pay you…" Emily trailed off as she saw Lorelai and Rory enter the room.

"Hey Mom."

"Lorelai, Rory. You're here. Go sit down and get yourself a drink. I'll be right there."

"Okay Grandma."

Rory and Lorelai sat down and Lorelai craned her neck towards the door.

"Mom, what on earth are you doing?" Rory laughed.

"Trying to hear. Shh! I never got to actually hear my mom chew out anyone but me before!"

"Really? Even though she's been through 920,543 maids in your 34 years of life?"

"Rory! Shh!"

Rory stopped talking as Lorelai continued to listen. However, as soon as Rory stopped talking, Emily stopped yelling and entered the room. Rory laughed.

"What is it?"

"Nothing, Grandma, sorry, just irony."

"What?"

"Never mind. I'm sorry." Rory could not stop giggling.

"The two of you tire me out."

"We know, Grandma, we know."

"So, girls, what's new in your life?"

"Not much." Rory replied.

"Actually, Mom, Rory had something she's dying to ask you." Lorelai instigated.

"Mom!" Rory whispered under her breath.

"What? You wouldn't even listen to my problems you were so preoccupied!"

"What is it Rory? You can ask me anything, you know that."

"Well, Grandma, I was wondering…I've heard you talk about the Huntzbergers before, and, well, do they have a son?" Rory blushed. She hadn't talked to her mom in detail about Logan before. Lorelai knew of him vaguely when Rory was at Chilton, but as far as Rory knew, Lorelai had heard nothing since.

Lorelai gave Rory a "what's going on here?" look. Lorelai was a little sad too. Not only did she not know what Rory was talking about, Rory had kept something from her that was clearly bugging her. Lorelai knew that college would tear them apart a little bit, but she always thought that they would still tell each other everything.

Rory saw the look. _Uh-oh_, she thought, _Mom's mad. I really hope she'll understand. I hate talking about these pretentious Hartford people to her. She hates them so much. Oh well, I'll explain on the way home._

"Mitchum and Shira, you mean, Rory?" Emily asked.

"Yeah…" Rory answered slowly. She wasn't sure this was the best time for the conversation. Rory shot Lorelai a "I'm sorry, I'll explain later" glance. When Lorelai smiled, Rory exhaled and smiled back, knowing that this was not as big a deal as she made it out to be.

"I believe they have two children."

"Two?" Rory asked incredulously. "Why have I never heard of either?"

"Well Honor, the oldest, is a few years older than you. She was a freshman at Princeton by the time you came back into our life." Emily smiled.

Lorelai rolled her eyes furtively. Emily always managed to sneak in the fact that Lorelai had taken Rory away from her when they were younger.

"You said they have two kids Grandma, Honor and…" Rory asked suggestively.

"Oh the other kid is Logan."

"And…" Rory egged Emily to continue.

"Why are you so curious?" Emily started to notice Rory's eagerness.

"Oh, no reason."

"Rory. Your façade is translucent."

"Yeah hon, you forgot who you're talking to. Emily Gilmore can see a translucent façade 100 miles away. Able to jump from tall buildings, swing from tree to tree…" Lorelai rambled off.

"Lorelai," Emily warned.

Lorelai just laughed in response. However, on the inside Lorelai was just as curious as Emily to Rory's motives. Why was she so interested in this kid? And why couldn't she just come out and say it? Lorelai had never seen Rory so nervous around Emily before. It puzzled her.

"Alright Grandma. I am truly just curious. I'm a reporter! Fishing for information is what we do. I've heard stories about him, I was just curious as to who he was." Rory covered up quickly.

Lorelai raised an eyebrow, but luckily Emily didn't see. Emily may buy Rory's excuses, but Lorelai certainly didn't.

Emily sighed. She had just had an exhausting day in which none of her maids did their jobs correctly. She fired four of them and had to host interviews for three new ones. Emily knew that Rory wasn't divulging the whole truth, but she figured she'd find out soon and fighting wasn't worth it. So she took the bait and decided to give in.

"Logan is kind of a delinquent. He left home I think when he was 16. He went from boarding school to boarding school getting kicked out from everyone. He was heavy into the drugs and basically your crazed stereotypic teenager."

"So Hartford pretty much decided he was no good and kicked him out of society. That's why you've never heard of him, sweetie." Lorelai added.

"Lorelai," Emily warned again. "That did not happen. He's just not a big part of Mitchum and Shira's life. It's sad, but it's a mutual feeling between them."

"Wow," Rory breathed. This Logan sounded like the jerk she assumed he would be. Rory was satisfied knowing that her judgment was accurate. She smiled, thanked her grandma, and got ready for the usual conversation that came with dinner.

Emily decided not to bug Rory about her motives tonight. She would crack eventually, and Emily figured it would be soon. Rory had seemed nervous from the moment she walked in. Emily knew her granddaughter, and she knew that Rory had trouble holding her feelings in. Emily smiled and sat back to enjoy the company of her daughter and granddaughter.

Lorelai continued to wonder what was up with Rory. She would get her on the drive home, but Lorelai knew that this nagging feeling would not go away during dinner. She tried as hard as she could to listen to the boring conversation materializing between Emily and Rory. Finally Lorelai gave up and just settled down, thinking of anything but Rory's predicament. _Hmm…fireplace, picture frames, martini, pie!_

Author's Note: Phew! Long chapter, sorry if it came off a bit fillerish. I just wanted to get something out. Tell me what you think!


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: Well I'm back! Lucky you guys, I'm on vacation. All my friends are away, so it's prime writing time! Thank you everyone for the reviews. I've hit exactly 50! But I'd really appreciate more. I'm not greedy, I just really like advice. I take EVERYTHING into consideration and will probably incorporate your ideas into the story. Then you get credit! So help me please! Enjoy.

**Disclaimer: I always forget this. I own nothinggg. =[**

After the semi-awkward Friday Night Dinner, Rory decided to go back to Stars Hollow and spend the night with her mom. She figured she owed her a night's worth of explanation, as she really hadn't talked to her much lately. Lorelai probably felt alienated, and Rory felt bad about that.

As Lorelai drove, she mulled over the silence in her Jeep. Never before had the 30 minute ride from Hartford been spent without talking. Gilmore Girls just didn't do silence. It hurt Lorelai on a level that she just couldn't explain. The silence was mightier than the sword.

Upon arrival at the Crap Shack, Rory sighed. She knew that their arrival meant it was time to spill. Rory wasn't sure she was ready to explain everything; mainly because she knew what her mom's response would be to finding out about Logan's stereotypic Hartford society attitude.

"So," Rory started.

"You know, hon, you don't have to tell me if you really don't want to." Lorelai pouted.

"No, it's not that. I just don't know where to start."

"Well, let's go inside and get some popcorn. Maybe the buttery sensation will spark your mind." Lorelai joked.

"Umm, ok." Rory was still worried.

"Rory, relax, really. I won't judge. The silence makes me more nervous than whatever it is you're going to tell me. Guarantee. Who am I to judge?"

"Yeah Mom, you're definitely not the judging type." Rory laughed.

Lorelai smiled, she knew Rory was starting to loosen up. She just hoped that Rory's problem was something she could fix and not judge in the process.

The girls walked into the house. Lorelai went into the kitchen to pop the popcorn. Rory dropped her stuff off in her room and walked into the living room. Lorelai came into the room carrying the popcorn as well as bringing in some tater tots and ice cream.

"Mom," Rory laughed, "we just ate a huge dinner!"

"Oh Jesus, please do not tell me that Yale has affected her culinary delight!?" Lorelai put down the food and moved her hands across her chest in the prayer symbol.

Rory laughed. It felt good that Lorelai didn't seem mad at her anymore. Maybe she could accept Rory's newfound fascination with learning about this Huntzburger. However, she didn't think she'd be admitting to her budding crush just yet.

Rory shook her head in disgust. She couldn't believe she had admitted that to herself. She did NOT like Logan Huntzburger. He was obnoxious, self-centered, egotistical, rude, horny, and a drunk. She was just curious. That was how she reasoned it to herself. She was Rory Gilmore, ace reporter. And ace reporters needed to get all the facts. Her "fascination" was not really a fascination, but more a craving for knowledge.

Rory smiled, satisfied. Lorelai walked in and smiled as well. She liked to see her daughter happy. Lorelai was still worried that something was really wrong, but if Rory was smiling, it couldn't be too dire.

Lorelai plopped down on the couch, resting her feet on the coffee table next to the tater tots. She put the bowl of popcorn in Rory's lap and took the ice cream in her own.

"So," Rory started for the second time that night.

"Now that I'm situated, we can talk." Lorelai smiled.

"Of course, because _you're_ situated, now we can talk." Rory laughed back. "What exactly are we talking about?"

"Tell me about what's bugging you that you're so agitated. Tell me about what's bugging you that made you decide to ask _Emily Gilmore_ for information. You of all people know that information from my mother only leads to trouble."

"Ah, yes. Let us all remember Peyton Sanders."

"See what I mean! So what's on your mind sweets?"

"Okay well you know from tonight that it has to do with Logan Huntzberger. Do you remember when I would come home after school and tell you the stories I heard about a kid named Logan?"

Lorelai nodded. She figured that there wasn't more than one Logan Huntzberger in the world.

"Okay, so from the beginning of the semester, I kept running into this kid. He first showed up in my _Introduction to Obscure Russian Poetry_ class. He was blonde, obnoxious, loud, always surrounded by his cronies, and drunk. I thought he was the most abhorrent kid I had ever laid eyes on. I was so disgusted that I couldn't pay attention for most of class. However, I wasn't really thinking about Logan. I was thinking about Madeline's party. Remember that one? The party Lane and I went to right after Dean and I broke up?"

"Yup," Lorelai nodded, motioning for Rory to continue.

"Alright. After class, I needed coffee."

"Duh, you're a Gilmore," Lorelai interrupted.

"Mom, if you want me to talk you _need _to stop interrupting me." Rory laughed.

"Sorry, sorry!"

"I was walking to the coffee cart, trying to forget about this guy, whom I had a hunch was Huntzberger. Of course, standing by the sacred coffee, was no one else than Logan and his crew. Again, I found myself thinking back to a class in high school where Louise and Madeline were talking about some flask thing. I'm not so sure." Rory paused, not entirely sure she wanted Lorelai to have every detail so far.

Lorelai nodded, realizing that Rory was probably leaving some things out. She wasn't going to press however; Lorelai understood that certain things needed to remain secrets.

"A few days later, he came to the newsroom while I was working on an article," Rory continued. "Basically he came, drunk, at 10:30 in the morning mind you, and hit on me."

"Oh la la." Lorelai laughed.

"Mom! So not funny. Would you like me to stop?"

"No! Please! No!" Lorelai mock begged.

"Okay then. So of course, I said no, but again something he said reminded me of high school and Tristan. I don't know, it's just been bothering me. So I went to Grandma, because I know she knows all of the high society types. I figured, there is a big chance he is who I think he is. I'm just confused."

"Oh honey. Now I see why you were so wrapped up in this, it's confusing. But why is it bothering you this much? And don't give me the reporter bull, I don't believe that line."

Rory shook her head. "I don't know Mom. I really don't. I guess I was scared of your reaction? I hate to disappoint you, and I know that you hate society kids."

"But sweetie, I don't have a problem with you having society friends. I could never do that to you. Yes, I didn't want that life for you. But I can't tell you who can be your friend."

"But that's just it. We're not friends. I've said two words to him. I don't know Mom. I'm tired, and I'm going to bed. Good night." Rory walked off into her bedroom.

"Good night, I love you." Lorelai called after her. Lorelai was puzzled. She just didn't understand why Rory would care so much about her reaction. Lorelai sighed and started up the stairs to her own bed.

Rory got into bed and turned the lights out. However, sleep did not come. Rory realized she was still confused. She had poured her heart out to her mother, and still did not feel better. Rory loved Lorelai, but she was still afraid of her reaction to learning of Rory's potential crush. Finally, she gave up thinking about her predicament. She let sleep overtake her and at last Rory fell asleep, dreaming of Logan.

**Author's Note: Well? Review and tell me! Please!!! =]**


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